Firearms Safety

Well-Known Member

I am starting this thread about firearms safety, and some of the most off the wall things people do with guns.

I get articles sent to me, and phone calls about discharges and asked my opinion on what happened and how things could have been avoided. Some are hard to figure out, others like the one below are pretty obvious of what went wrong and how it could have been avoided......

Seems a man was installing a satellite system and had trouble getting a hole punched thru the wall to run the cable. So he decides to place his wife on the outside of the house while he uses.......you guessed it, a gun to shoot a hole thru the wall for the cable to pass. Outstanding!

SEDALIA, Mo. -- Officials are trying to determine whether to file charges against a man who fatally shot his wife while trying to install a satellite television system in their home.

Patsy D. Long, 34, of Deep Water, was pronounced dead early Saturday evening after being shot in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun.

Patsy Long was standing outside the residence while her husband was installing a satellite television system.

According to sheriff's department spokesman Maj. Robert Hills, Ronald Long fired a shot from the inside of their home after several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means. Investigators said Ronald Long believed his family was inside the house.

He told authorities that he fired a second shot, then called out his wife's name and the names of their two children. When he got no reply, he ran outside and found his wounded wife.

Patsy Long was hit by the second of two shots fired by Ronald Long, the Henry County Sheriff's Department said.

Resident Science Nut

Well at least he didn't have that thought, or he could have done a lot more damage with a .30-06 or similar, even though his wife died from the .22, there would have been far less chance of surviving a larger round.

It just appears that maybe a common sense test should be taken when buying firearms.

Active Member

Going out with a new shooting buddy, 2 of my good friends (safe shooters) and I met up with the new guy at the range. We're showing off toys to each other when friend 1 shows new guy his 1911. New guy proceeds to inspect said 1911, rack the slide, point at the ground just inches from friend one's leg and pulls the trigger. The chambered round rockets past my buddy's leg and sends shrapnel towards his calf. Luckily nobody was hurt. Never went shooting with new guy again.

Going out shooting with my wife, she was shooting my Kimber .40. She was relatively new to guns and I was walking her through everything. The slide had locked back like the mag was empty and she couldn't get the slide to release. She handed me the pistol, I proceeded to release the slide and pull the trigger to drop the hammer. Luckily rule #2 had been beaten into me as a kid "NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY" of course there was an empty round that went harmlessly downrange. That was the loudest bang I had ever heard in my life.

What can you learn from my mistakes? Even if your new buddy has tons of weapons, it never hurts to go through a quick safety refresher before everyone starts shooting. Firearms do odd things, ALWAYS follow the safety rules.

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

Well-Known Member

I'll contribute one...this is another example of when people don't use good judgement and they let emotions take control. Humans are like a horse and rider...the horse is strong and weights over 1500 pounds whereas the rider is in control of the duo and is weak weighing in anywhere from 125 to 225 pounds. The horse represents human emotions where the jockey or rider is our judgement. Judgement generally controls our emotions keeping them in check. However it is extremely easy for the horse to decide to take over control and then things get ugly - quickly!

Anyway, this is reprinted EXACTLY the way it appeard in the Eugene paper.

---------------------------

CHESHIRE, Ore. -- A Cheshire woman has been accused of shooting her husband
after he shot her pet chicken.

The Eugene-Register Guard reports that 58-year-old Mary Kay Gray has been
jailed on felony assault charges. Her 43-year-old husband, Stanley Gray, is recovering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Lane County sheriff's Sgt. Clint Riley says the couple had been working around
their yard and drinking on Labor Day. They got into an argument after Stanley
Gray shot his wife's pet chicken with a .44-caliber handgun. Police don't know
if the shooting was intentional or an accident. Riley says "it depends on who you ask." But sheriff's deputies later determined that Mary Kay Gray shot her husband with a .22-caliber rifle in an apparent act of retaliation.

Well-Known Member

30 years ago I had a roomate that had shot himself twice before I knew him. One time he shot himself in the foot practicing quickdraw with a loaded .22. Another time it was a ricochet. He shot his gun in his car, the bullet went through the firewall hit the engine and came back through the firewall and hit him in the leg. I never went shooting with him. The real tragedy was a few years later after he had moved out and remarried his 12 year old son shot and killed his lovely 8 year old daughter. The funeral was a real tearjerker, I don't think anyone had as dry eye. It still kills me even today. Don't know what ever happened to him as we drifted apart afterwards.

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